MYANMAR INSTITUTE OF STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

(Myanmar-ISIS)

Past events

Feb 18, 2019

At the invitation of Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Khun Kavi Chongkittavorn research fellow, Chulalongkorn University’s Institute of Security and International Studies visited Yangon and made a presentation on “Thailand’s ASEAN Chair: Daunting Challenges” on 18 February 2019 at Myanmar ISIS. The Thai Ambassador-designate Ms. Suphatra SRIMAITREEPHITHAK and Senior Officers from ASEAN Affairs Department, Political Department, and Strategic Studies and Training Department from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and professors and students from International Relations Department Yangon University and Dagon University and Myanmar ISIS members attended the discourse. He spoke about the diverse issues that Thailand as Chair of ASEAN 2019 will seek to address. Following are the issues:
- Strengthen ASEAN centrality in Indo-Pacific outlook
- Promoting TAC as a global code of conduct
- Finishing three-reading of the COC draft COC by the end of this year
- Engaging North Korea on denuclearization, socializing on regional integration
- Prevention cohesive intervention: Help with humanitarian assistance and repatriation process in
Rakhine State under the framework of ASEAN
- Completing Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
- Strengthening ASEAN cyber security related issues
- Preparing ASEAN for 4IR (4.0 Industrial Revolution)
- Empowering ASEAN secretariat and speedier decision making process during crisis.

Jan 29, 2019

Dr. Ksenia A. EFREMOVA, Associate Professor at the Department School of Asian and African Studies and MGIMO University, Moscow delivered a lecture on “Russia’s Turn to the East: Implications for Myanmar and Southeast Asia” at Myanmar ISIS this morning. Her area of Studies is in Myanmar and Chinese Philology. She has authored two books and a number of articles on Myanmar in Russian. This is the third time that eminent scholars from MGIMO University have visited Myanmar ISIS. The event was attended by Myanmar ISIS members, Professors and Students of International Relations Department of Yangon University. Last year the ASEAN-Russia Network of Think Tanks was founded and the first meeting took place in Moscow. This May the second ASEAN-Russian Network of Think Tanks meeting is scheduled to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia. In recent years, Russia has showed interest in ASEAN much more than before with President Putin attending the EAS under the Chairmanship of Singapore in 2018.

Jan 25, 2019

A ceremony to sign an MoU for cooperation between Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS) and Myanmar Academy of Arts and Science (MAAS) was held at Myanmar ISIS conference room at 10 am on 25 January 2019. Chairman U Nyunt Maung Shein signed the MoU on behalf of Myanmar ISIS and Chairman Dr. Thet Lwin on behalf of MAAS respectively. The MoU provides a framework for conducting research between the two organizations on issues of mutual interest. The ceremony was attended by Myanmar ISIS members and some members of MAAS. This is the first time that Myanmar ISIS will conduct research with various universities. This MoU was signed pursuant to the guidance given by the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi when she visited Myanmar ISIS on 18 July 2018.

Dec 13, 2018

Following the bilateral discussions between IDP of DPRK and Myanmar ISIS, the Roundtable on the Korean Peninsula convened at Novotel Hotel Max, Yangon this morning. It is a one day event with the participation of ASEAN ISIS Think Tanks, the IDP of DPRK and three Scholars from Korean National Diplomatic Academy and Korea Institute for National Unification. It is historic in the annals of ASEAN ISIS to have interaction between DPRK, ROK and ASEAN ISIS members for the first time. The event was co-organized with the FES, Yangon Office. All the participants highly commended Myanmar ISIS for convening this Roundtable which is timely and relevant to the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Myanmar ISIS also takes much pride and honour to initiate and hold this event bringing the two Koreas and ASEAN ISIS members together for finding ways and means the role ASEAN could play to bring peace, stability and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula and beyond.
Two main issues were discussed. The first one on the “Overview of the Recent Developments on the Korean Peninsula” and the second on the “Denuclearization”. Four Scholars and three from the DPRK and ROK respectively explained their perspectives on the two issues. Panelists from the ASEAN ISIS members presented their views on how to promote and advance the inter-Korean relations as well as DPRK – US ties. A memorandum will be prepared by Myanmar ISIS and circulated among the participants. This is the last activity of Myanmar ISIS before it hands over the Chairmanship of ASEAN ISIS to the Philippines- “Asia Pathways to Progress Foundation, Inc.” which joined the ASEAN ISIS in 2018.

Nov 27, 2018

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS) jointly held a conference on International and Regional Security Implications for Myanmar at Kempinski Hotel, Nay Pyi Taw on 27 November 2018. Chairman of Myanmar ISIS U Nyunt Maung Shein, German Ambassador to Myanmar H.E. Dorothee Janetzke-Wenzel and Dr. Norbert Eschborn, Authorized Representative, KAS in Myanmar delivered Opening and Welcome remarks. The conference focused on the Indo-Pacific concept and on the BRI and its implications on Bay of Bangel and Europe. A separate topic on Submarine warfare was also discussed. The morning session on the Indo-Pacific was moderated by Chairman of Myanmar ISIS and the afternoon session by Dr. Norbert Eschborn, Authorized Representative, KAS in Myanmar, Permanent Secretary U Myint Thu, Director General of Political Department U Soe Han, Deputy Director General of Political Department U Aye Ko Ko and Senior and Mid-level officers from MOFA together with Myanmar Navy, NDC Port Authority totaling 40 persons attended the conference. This event is a yearly event organized by KAS and Myanmar ISIS and this time it is the Third Conference.

Nov 26, 2018

On Monday 26th November afternoon another event was held at MISIS. It was a talk by Mrs. Herta Daubler Gmelin, Former Minister of Justice of Germany, who spoke on “Grand Coalitions and great challenges - German Democracy in 2018”, co-organised by MISIS and FES. MISIS members, other scholar and interns attended the talk.

Nov 26, 2018

Konard Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS) jointly organized an expert talk titled “Security Threats in the 21st Century”, at MISIS conference room this morning. Presentations were made - one by Mr. Lutz Feldt, Retired Vice Admiral of the German Navy on “Maritime Hybrid Risks and Threats: Consequences for Harbors, Navies and Maritime Services – a European view”, and by Mr. Maxim Worcester, International Security Consultant, on “The Evolution of Electronic Warfare”. A commentary was then made by Dr. Manuel Vermeer, Senior Advisor Asia, Mannheim Business School. The meeting was attended by MISIS members, Myanmar Marine Police officers, Myanmar Port Authority officers, NGOs, interns at MISIS and a representative of the German Embassy in Yangon.

Nov 9, 2018

An MoU was signed between Fundacao Alexandre de Gusmao of the Federative Republic of Brazil (FUNAG) and Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Myanmar ISIS) for cooperation between the two Institutes on 9 November 2018 at Myanmar ISIS. FUNAG is a think tank under the MOFA of Brazil. The MoU was signed by Chairman of Myanmar ISIS witnessed by the Ambassador of Brazil to Myanmar H.E. Antonio J.M. de Souza e Silva.The MoU was signed by the Brazilian side by the President of FUNAG earlier. This is the first MoU for Myanmar ISIS to sign with a think tank from Latin America. After the signing the ceremony the Ambassador gave a talk on Myanmar-Brazil Bilateral Relations.

Nov 2, 2018

Today, another lecture was delivered by Dr. Victor Sumsky, Director, ASEAN Centre in MGIMO University, MOFA, Moscow on the topic “Asia Pacific to Indo-Pacific: What this US-Promoted Shift Means to ASEAN, Russia and Asia”. This is the second time that Dr. Victor Sumsky visited Myanmar ISIS, the first time was in 2016. This event was organized by the Ambassador of Russia to Myanmar Dr. Nikolay Listopadov. Myanmar ISIS Chairman, members and the Russian Ambassador together with interns attended the lecture. A lively round of discussions followed the talk. It was encouraging to see that many interns contributed to the discussion by way of raising important and relevant questions on the Indo-Pacific concept. Myanmar ISIS highly appreciates the younger generation for their keen interest to take part in the Q & A session.